The Dallas beheading suspect has an attempted naked carjacking in his criminal record

Dallas police say Yordanis Cobos-Martinez, 37, is the man accused of carrying out the beheading of his coworker, Chandra “Bob” Nagamallaiah, at a downtown motel on September 10, 2025.

Cobos-Martinez has a criminal record across multiple states. Court records show he has faced charges in Texas, Florida, and California, including violent crimes.

In Harris County, Texas, he was accused of aggravated assault and indecency with a child in 2018. The indecency charges were dismissed last year due to insufficient evidence, while the assault case was reduced to a misdemeanor, resulting in about a year in jail.

The South Lake Tahoe attempted naked carjacking

According to the Texas news outlet, WFAA, perhaps the most bizarre episode in his record took place in June 2017 in South Lake Tahoe, California. Local police reported that Cobos-Martinez, then 29, tried to carjack a woman while completely naked.

Investigators said he pulled the 22-year-old victim by her hair and clothes in an effort to force her from her BMW. He allegedly climbed into the vehicle with her still inside and tried to drive off before bystanders intervened. He fled to a nearby hotel, where officers arrested him. Authorities charged him with carjacking and false imprisonment in that case.

Details of the beheading

According to an arrest affidavit, the conflict that led to the recent beheading began in a motel room when Nagamallaiah told Cobos-Martinez and another worker not to use a broken washing machine. Witnesses said the dispute escalated after Nagamallaiah asked a female employee to translate his comments rather than speaking directly with Cobos-Martinez.

Police allege Cobos-Martinez left the room, retrieved a machete, and chased Nagamallaiah through the motel. The victim fled toward the front office, where his wife and son were located, but Cobos-Martinez pursued him into the parking lot.

Investigators say Cobos-Martinez decapitated Nagamallaiah, rifled through his pockets, and tossed the victim’s head into a dumpster. Witnesses immediately called for help, and officers arrested Cobos-Martinez a short time later.

He reportedly admitted to the attack and told police he used the machete to kill his coworker. He is now charged with capital murder and is being held without bond in Dallas County Jail. Immigration authorities have also lodged a detainer against him, as he is a Cuban national in the United States illegally.